Ramen and a Cat
by Ryzxn
Summary: Amu constantly says she hates Ikuto. Yet, how can she say that's true when she's the one at his house, making Ramen for him? Amu can't keep saying she hates Ikuto after he gives her an important gift. Well, maybe she can after all... One-Shot.


**Okay, so... I had this extremely random and spazzic idea for and Amuto FanFic... I honestly don't know where it came from, except for the fact I was thinking about charm bracelets and Ramen. (How does that even go together? o.O)**

**Anyway... This might be a better Kukai and Utau Fic, but... I prefer it be Amuto. **

**Yes, I have other stories in progress as well, but, meh. It's a one-shot so... You don't have to deal with waiting to update :C**

**Well, I'll shut it now. **

**I don't own anything from Shugo Chara. **

**XXX**

**Ramen and a Cat**

**XXX**

Ikuto opened the door slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the sudden light. Not that it helped. He still squinted as he made out the figure in front of him. He held one of his hands over his eyes, blocking some of the brightness while his other hand rested on the door to his house.

"Do you need something, Amu?" Ikuto asked groggily. He leaned casually on the door, letting it support his tired body. "I was kinda..." Ikuto's words trailed off as he yawned again.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You were tryingto sleep," Amu pushed the door open, which pushed Ikuto as well. He moved away from the open door, leaving Amu to close it behind her.

Amu walked in the room. "Geez, Ikuto, when was the last time you opened a window or something? It's so dark in here... And dusty." Amu complained.

"Uh," Ikuto replied, crashing on the couch. He lay on his back and put of a pillow over his head. Just in case Amu opened a window.

Amu rolled her eyes. "You hungry?" She asked him.

"Not particularly," Ikuto replied through the pillow, but his stomach betrayed him.

"Good, 'cause I brought Ramen," Amu said. There was an implied command that stated something like: _I'm making Ramen. You're going to eat it. You're going to like it._

"Huh," Ikuto mumbled. He hadn't even noticed the red package of beef Ramen when Amu came in.

Amu set off to Ikuto's small kitchen with a mission. She threw the package of Ramen on the counter, grabbed a pot from one of the cupboards, and filled it with water. She set the pot on the stove, turning on the burner.

"Don't burn it," Ikuto called from his couch after a few minutes. He heard Amu's footsteps as she stalked into the living room.

"How the _heck_ do you burn Ramen, Ikuto?" Amu huffed.

"Isn't your water boiling?"

Amu kept silent, listening for the distinctive sound of boiling water. She scowled at the figure lying lazily on his couch with a pillow on his head.

"I hate you," Amu retorted and stomped back into the kitchen. She opened the package of Ramen, took out the packet flavoring, and dumped the noddles in the pot of water.

Ikuto smirked form under his pillow. "Then why are you here, making Ramen for me?"

"Because. You're lazy and stupid and won't go buy food for yourself," Amu replied from the kitchen. She turned off the stove burner and poured in the packet flavoring.

"Doesn't that mean you care about me?"

"Yup."

"You totally contradicted what you said less than 2 minutes ago."

"Yup," Amu said as she poured the Ramen into a bowl. She put a few ice cubes into the bowl to cool down the Ramen.

"That wasn't a question, Strawberry."

"Don't call me that." Amu picked up the bowl. It was almost too hot to touch, but she grabbed it anyway. She approached Ikuto on the couch. "Get up before I pour this on you and have to go get another package from the store."

"Eh," Ikuto said. He rolled over on his side, his back to Amu.

"Oh, _come on,_" Amu complained. "You're so lazy! Get up!" She held the bowl of Ramen in one hand and dug her knuckles into Ikuto's back. He yelped – something he would always deny doing, later – but Amu would always have the satisfaction of knowing he was lying when he denied it.

"Fine," Ikuto grumbled. He took the pillow off his head and sat up, sitting forward. Amu shoved the bowl into his hands before he could protest. She sat next to him.

"You aren't going to feed me?" Ikuto asked innocently.

"Heck, no," Amu retorted, lightly slapping his arm. "You aren't that la-"

Amu was cut off as Ikuto thrust a spoonful of Ramen into her mouth. She glared at him as she swallowed, coughing softly afterward. "I hate you, so, so much."

"You're here, still," Ikuto said.

"You won't eat if I leave. Let me get you anything spoon."

"I'm fine," Ikuto mumbled. "It's not like you're sick."

"Yeah, but..." Amu's voice trailed off as Ikuto ate a spoonful of Ramen. "Never mind."

Ikuto looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

Amu ignored him and leaned back on the couch. She examined her fingernails.

Ikuto watched her bare wrist. After swallowing some Ramen he said, "What happened to the bracelet Tadase gave you?" Ikuto had hated that bracelet. It was a constant reminder that Tadase had always held part of Amu's heart.

Amu's face flushed as Ikuto noted the absence of the band of braided silver, white, and black that was usually around her wrist. "Uhm... I-I left it at home..."

"I can tell you're lying," Ikuto said, eating another spoonful of Ramen.

"I hate you," Amu mumbled. "Fine. Truthfully, I gave back to him."

Iktuo's eyebrows shot up. His eyes said he was confused and somewhat suspicious. Although, also, quiet happy. He didn't reply. Instead, he silently ate his Ramen.

Amu kicked off her sandals and put her feet on the couch. She hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees. She stared forward, but she clearly was thinking of other things.

There was silence. Not quiet comfortable, but not quiet uncomfortable. It was a stalemate.

Ikuto finished his Ramen and sat the bowl on the floor next to the couch. "What happened?" He asked softly, even though he almost dreaded the answer.

Amu snapped back to the present. "Nothing. I just gave it back. It didn't match anything I could wear."

Ikuto rolled his eyes. "That's a pretty bad excuse, Amu. Especially when you're wearing a black jacket, white shorts, and silver sandals."

Amu's face flushed again. "Things just didn't work out, 'kay?" she said angrily. She got up, grabbed Ikuto's bowl, and stomped into the kitchen. "I hate you..." Ikuto heard her mumbled form the kitchen as she washed the dishes.

The water shut off, but Amu didn't return. Ikuto waited there, perfectly quiet. He didn't even move until he heard quiet sobs.

Ikuto got up, but instead of walking to the kitchen, he walked to the closet in his room. He pulled out a small square box, about 4 inches long on each side. Ikuto walked slowly into the kitchen.

Amu jumped, even though Ikuto entered the kitchen slowly. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm fine," she muttered.

"I know you aren't. Here," Ikuto said softly. He thrust the box at Amu as she glared at him. He sighed. "I was saving it for someone special, but you can have it. Put that on in place of Tadase's bracelet."

"Ikuto." Amu took a deep breath, getting a handle on her emotions. "You're saving it for something you like, so give it to her."

"It's fine. She doesn't wear jewelry that often, anyway. I'll get her something else if she wants."

"I won't take it," Amu insisted.

"Then I'll just throw it away," Ikuto replied. "I had thought it was a good thing to get her at the time, but, to quote you, 'things just didn't work out.'"

Amu slowly took the box from Ikuto's hands. "Fine," Amu mumbled. "I should go. It's started to get dark." Amu walked past Ikuto and into the living room. Ikuto turned to see her out, but by the time he even got to the living room, Amu had gone out the door.

Ikuto sighed and plopped back on the couch, in his original position with a pillow on his head.

**XXX**

Amu had held up quiet nicely after visiting Ikuto. She'd gone to school the next day and kept up the charade of feeling the same as always, instead of the hollow, sorrow-filled shell that she actually felt like.

It wasn't until she gone home that she started crying again.

She had been sitting on her bed, along with the box Ikuto had giving her. It had remained unopened. Amu was having a staring contest with the box. A battle of will. Whether she would give in and open it, or blow it off and leave it there.

The box won.

Amu slowly picked the thing off her bed. She sat, cross-legged on her bed, with the box on her lap. She slowly undid the silver clasp that held it closed. When Amu opened the box, she gasped, tears immediately springing to her eyes.

She took out the bracelet slowly, as if afraid it would jump out of her and disappear. Amu examined the silver chain bracelet. It only had to charms on it. A colorful strawberry with little red rhinestones that where suppose to be seeds, and a small blue-black cat with a black rhinestone for an eye.

In the box was a note. It was written on a scrap of paper; something only Ikuto would do. Buy a romantic gift and put the message on a piece of scrap paper. Amu lifted up the note and unfolded it. She read it slowly.

_Amu,_

_Things might have changed a bit by the time I give it you... _

_Maybe things really will be different. But... ugh, I hate cheesy love notes or whatever the heck you call this. Because if you actually read this, depending on whether I give this to you or not, I know you'll hold it against be forever for saying something romantic that's not perverted._

_We've known each other for years. I don't think there's ever been a day I don't think about you. Even if I sleep all day, I end up dreaming about you. Ugh. I know you're going to hold that against me. _

_Anyway, about the bracelet._

_I got it... I honestly don't remember when. And I know it's pretty empty. But I figured you and I could add the charms together, throughout the years._

_Rings are too cliché. People should use bracelets to ask for someone's hand in marriage more often._

_Well, maybe not that... yet. _

_Again, I know you're going to hold this against me... I'm going to regret this for the rest of my life, aren't I? Of course, if you're there, I think I might be able to deal with it._

Amu ended up crying not even half-way through the note. She was beet red by the time she finished it, and tears were still dripping off her chin. "I hate him," she muttered softly. Amu slowly picked up the bracelet and put it on her wrist. "I hate him so much... Always making me blush or get emotional or make my heart skip a beat..."

Amu waited until her face returned to it's normal coloring and her eyes weren't puffy before getting up. She threw on a jacket and ran outside to her car.

**XXX**

Ikuto opened his front door and blinked in the light. He had to let his eyes adjust to the brightness outside for a second time. "Amu?" he inquired as his eyes slowly made out the figure in front of him.

"Geez, Ikuto, I hate you."

"You came to my house to..." Ikuto's voice trailed off as he could finally see Amu. She had her head down and her fists were clenched at her sides. "Amu..." Ikuto stepped forward and closed the door behind him.

"Ugh. I hate you so much for making me feel like this," Amu muttered.

What the pinkette did next probably surprised her as much as it did Ikuto. And Ikuto was pretty surprised.

Amu stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Ikuto's neck, and kissed him. Ikuto immediately kissed her back, his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly.

"Why," Amu whispered after they'd broken apart. There were still holding each other, their faces only a couple of inches apart.

"Because you hate me, right?" Ikuto whispered back.

"Yeah. And because I'm going to make you Ramen for the rest of your life because it's the only thing I can cook without burning it."

"Oh good grief. In that case, I'm going to get a cat."

"What the heck does that have to do with anything?"

"Well... Heck, I dunno."

They stayed silent for a little. Then Amu said, "Yeah, you're going to regret it."

"Huh? Regret what?" Ikuto asked, puzzled.

"Writing that note."

Ikuto groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have done that... Anything else you want me to know I'm going to regret?"

Amu looked in eyes seriously and added to the list, "Not marrying me." With that, she closed the distance between their lips for a second time.

**XXX**

**Oh gosh, that was a really cheesy ending. Heh, I thought it was decent... So thanks for reading. **

**Please review c:**


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